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Showing posts from May, 2012

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday, "Changed from Glory into Glory: Windy"

Sermon 5/27/12 Acts 2:1-21 Changed from Glory into Glory: Windy             Yesterday afternoon I had the joy of attending my nephew Sam’s Fifth Birthday Party. He is getting to be quite grown up. Children’s birthday parties are an interesting mixture of planned and unplanned happenings. For example, my brother and sister-in-law had almost everything set up out on their back deck, expecting to sit and eat with adults while the kids played in the yard and on the swing set. But slowly, person by person, people seemed to decide that sitting inside, in air conditioning, near fans, was preferable to being outside on a beautiful but very hot day. Jim and Jen ordered more than twice as much pizza as the guests ate, although we went through drinks like crazy. The plastic lightsabers that were set out never got played with – kids opted instead for playing with Batman’s batcave, which was just sitting in its usual spot in the living room. And Sam never reacts quite how you think he

Sermon for Ascension Sunday, "Changed from Glory Into Glory: The Road Divides"

Sermon 5/20/12 Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:44-53 Changed from Glory into Glory: The Road Divides Here is where the road divides Here is where we realize The sculpting of our God’s great design Thru' time you've been a friend to me But time is now the enemy I wish we didn't have to say goodbye But I know the road God chose for me Is not the road God chose for you So as we chase the dreams we're after Pray for me and I'll pray for you Pray that we will keep the common ground Won't you pray for me and I'll pray for you And one day love will bring us back around again Painted on our tapestry We see the way it has to be Weaving thru' the laughter and the tears But love will be the tie that binds us To the time we leave behind us Memories will be our souvenirs And I know that thru' it all The hardest part of love is letting go But there's a greater love that holds us Pray for me and I'll pray for y

Sermon for Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B: "Changed from Glory into Glory: Friends"

Sermon 5/13/12 John 15:9-17 Changed from Glory into Glory: Friends When I was in high school, I particularly liked a song that was added to the movie version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita , a song called “You Must Love Me,” added for the star of the movie, Madonna, as an additional solo ballad. The song has a double meaning. It features near the end of the movie, when Eva Peron, the first lady of Argentina, is dying of cancer. The song features a series of questions that suggest that Eva is amazed that her husband, President Juan Peron, is standing by her side even though her body is failing. “Why are you at my side? How can I be any use to you now?” she sings. The chorus repeats the mantra, “You must love me,” as words of discovery. “Oh, because you are doing this, staying with me, it means that you must love me.” It is a refrain of wonder, awe that she is so loved by her husband.             But the song has a double meaning. Eva Peron had a strong desire t

Sermon for Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B: Changed from Glory into Glory - Branches

Sermon 5/6/12 (2 Corinthians 3), John 15:1-8, 1 John Changed from Glory into Glory: Branches For the next several weeks, we will be focusing on the theme Changed from Glory into Glory. I planned to explain our theme for the month in our May newsletter, but as most of you know, I have been away at General Conference in Tampa for the last two weeks. I just didn’t make it with a newsletter article. I was pretty impressed with myself for even sending Bill my sermon titles for the month! So, I want to spend a little time this morning explaining this theme: changed from glory into glory. It is based on a passage from 2 Corinthians 3. In it, Paul is talking about a text from Exodus that we just studied in our Bible 101 class. The Israelites have been freed from Egypt, but are wandering in the wilderness. Moses keeps visiting with God to receive commandments for living as this new community in a new place. But after so much time one on one with God, his face is radiant, and the